Good Media Coverage Requires Experience and Planning

“John Selig Outspoken” Podcast

Episode 10  August 28, 2007

Media coverage can be a huge asset to an individual or organization
but is most likely to be successful only when a well thought out media
strategy and implementation plan is put in place. Unless a media savvy
member of an organization has implemented a wellthought out plan
with enough leadtime, media coverage is often spotty at best and
uncertain as to quality of any resulting coverage.

I was once involved with an organization planning an event for LGBT
youth at a Dallas Hotel. I offered to put together a media plan and
handle the press for the organization. They didn’t anticipate any
press interest so they declined my offer. The day of the event I was
helping friends move when my cell phone rang four hours prior to the
start of the event. I was told that the FOX affiliate had arrived and
was taking some background footage. I suggested that they let me help
with media. I was told that they didn’t expect any additional
coverage and again declined. An hour later I got a panicked call and was
told that the CBS station’s news crew had just arrived. I asked
again if they wanted my media assistance and finally, they relented.

I showed up at the venue an hour or so later with copies of a press
release I had put together and information on the organization hosting
the event that I could hand to any press in attendance. Upon arrival at
the hotel I set up a special media room for interviews and stocked it
with beverages and food from the event as well as making sure that there
was ample space and seating for different news organizations to conduct
interviews. That way, only youth and adults in the press area would
appear on TV or in print. Next, I selected youth and adults for
interviews and prepped them with some media training.

As press I arrived I handed out press releases and background
information, told them about the event, answered a bunch of background
questions and provided them with adults from the organization and kids
attending the event for interviews. Had the press just arrived at the
event it could have been extremely dangerous to any youth not wanting to
be shown on TV or in a newspaper photo. What could have been a media
disaster was turned into positive publicity both for the organization
and the event.

The crucial lesson here is to plan media well ahead of time.
Fortunately, the hotel had space available at the last minute to meet
the needs of the media. Since the event was newsworthy enough the media
was interested in covering it.

Media plans also require preparation and direction by somebody who is
media savvy, so It is always a good idea to have somebody in your
organization assigned to be your media manager. Besides being
experienced in working with media they should study the “Media
Reference Guide” and “the Media Essentials Training
Guide” on the GLAAD.org website and SpinProject.org per Cathy McElrath
Renna’s suggestion.

In most cases the target audience for the LGBT community is what I
refer to as the movable middle. We aren’t going to win religious
fundamentalists to our side so there is no sense in trying to change
their minds. Likewise, we already have the gay community and liberals
with us so we don’t need to concentrate on them either. We do want
to move fairminded folks in the middle who haven’t yet
thought much about the discrimination that we experience and the
challenges we face. Of course, we should always welcome coverage by the
gay media.

When being interviewed always keep this target audience in mind and
as you answer questions ask yourself how the moveable middle are likely
to react to your answers. The more the moveable middle can identify with
you the more likely they are to be receptive to your message.

Educating anybody who will be interviewed by print, radio or TV media
is imperative. Media training is essential for your message to come
through in a positive light. Learning how to answer questions using
highimpact sound bites for broadcast interviews is key as media
like short answers that have a sharp message. Make sure that you have
done your homework to become an expert on the topics to be discussed
before any interview. Also, learn as much about the radio or TV show
that you will appear on so that you know their political slant and
interview style. Learning the political leaning of a newspaper will aid
you in anticipating how they will cover your organization. Find out
about a s much as you can about the journalist and any of their previous
LGBT coverage. As Cathy mentioned, building relationships with different
members of the press will greatly improve both the amount and quality of
coverage that you receive. Check with other LGBT organizations in your
area for media contacts that have proved reliable and friendly in the
past.

I usually email or fax out press releases a week or two in advance of
an event and I always send them to a specific person whenever possible.
The releases should always include a contact with their phone number and
should be no longer than two pages in length. However, it is okay to
attach additional information that will help a reporter with a story.
After emailing or faxing the press releases and additional information
always call to make sure that they were received.

I also always call the different media that I previously sent press
releases to again on the morning of the planned event to see if a
reporter has been assigned to cover the event. Often the assignment desk
is unaware of the event as the press release and additional information
never made it to the appropriate person in the first place; so, I resend
the press release and additional information to the assignment desk and
then call back to make certain they received it.

Be sure that your media manager works closely with any media who
arrive to cover your event. Provide the reporters with another press
release, additional information on your organization and statistics on
the LGBT community. This requires advanced planning and research. Prep
people in advance to be interviewed. Upfront research and preparation
pays off in the quality of media coverage that you receive. Media that
are treated professionally and who are able to conduct good interviews
are far more likely to cover future events when you invite them.

This is by no means all you need to know to work with the press. But
I hope it has given you some useful information to get you started.